Burning Question: Is A Sundae In A Can Good Design?

Dominique Ansel—the prolific pastry chef behind viral confectionaries like cronuts and cookie shots—has unveiled his latest innovation. It’s a sundae in a can. That’s a nod to Andy Warhol and a brain freeze to you.Pull-tops can maim you.

Modeled after a root beer float, the sundae is constructed from a combination of "root beer and vanilla chocolate chip ice cream, mascarpone semifreddo, macerated cherries, mini marshmallows, and a meringue kiss," WWD reports. And as an added bonus, the inside of the can is coated with chocolate.

No one here is questioning Ansel’s inventiveness. But the insufferable parts of my personality can’t help but ask, is a sundae in a can good design? Let’s break this down into a pros and cons list.

Pros

Cans are very portable/durable.

Pull-top cans make that neat sound when you open them.

Sundaes in cans are, at their core, totally delightful.

Root beer float are downright patriotic.

Cons

Metal is an excellent conductor, which will make the can feel freezing to the touch, while transferring your skin’s heat to melt the ice cream quicker.

Pull-tops can maim you.

It’s advertised as "for two" which means you can’t down this thing by yourself in public and not look like a mega glutton.

X-Factors

That chocolate can lining—could it insulate the ice cream against melting?

Clearly Ansel’s latest design—a collaboration with Lisa Perry—needs to be tested before serious conclusions can be drawn. Unfortunately, just 500 of these sundaes will be sold in the Hamptons this weekend. They’ll cost $15 apiece. 20% of proceeds will go to charity. The rest goes straight to your hips.